Sealed
by sharingank
Summary: Series of NaruSaku request drabbles. Possible current manga spoilers.
1. Peas

**Author's Note:** Okay, so here's the dish on this. A few days ago, _heronite_ (many of you may know her as _Mizura_) published a brilliant NaruSaku manifesto on LJ. I admit, my adoration of the pairing was taking a backseat to my current DeiTobi infatuation, but reading the manifesto made me remember why I am such an avid NaruSaku supporter. So. I asked people to shoot me keywords. All told, I recieved fourteen. XD At Miz's encouragement, I've decided to share the resulting drabbles here. They are quite short, some shorter (or longer), than others, and I'll be posting a new one each day. One particular keyword is being turned into a story (so look out for that soon).

Anyhow, I hope everybody enjoys!

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**Sealed**

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**I. Peas**

Sakura plunked the plate down in front of him. He saw her smile before he saw what was _on_ the plate, and that alone was enough to make him want to shove it away fast.

He wasn't going to like this. The smile had a slightly sinister edge to it, and he feared that it had something to do with the pair of dirty boxers he'd left on the bathroom floor earlier in the day.

Sakura _always_ paid him back for his little domestic misdemeanors.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" She said sweetly. "Aren't you going to look at what I made for you?"

He _could_ say he had a stomachache, and he was sorry, but he'd have to beg off on dinner tonight, however he knew he wouldn't make it very far before Sakura whalloped him and called him out as a liar (because even when Naruto was sick, he still stuffed his face).

It'd just be safer if he looked.

"Oh...no. Nuh uh. I'm not..._Sakura-chan_!"

The plate was loaded with vegetables. Naruto didn't really care for vegetables. Especially not the green ones. And...

"Peas? Why did it have to be _peas_?"

Sakura's smile became a smirk. "This is only the first course," she said, patting his cheek. "Now eat it _all_ up."

Naruto was never changing in the bathroom again.


	2. Makeup

**II. Makeup**

"Sakura."

Bent over one of Naruto's ledgers--which he should've been writing in, not her--Sakura gave a noncommittal "Hm?" and continued copying down numbers--Konoha's budget for the month.

"What do you use this thing for?"

Naruto sounded genuinely confused, so Sakura glanced up, and snorted.

"It's an eyelash curler, Naruto," she said, on the verge of laughter. "Not something you need to worry about, unless you want to start wearing mascara."

Naruto made a face. "Hell no." He looked wearily at the eyelash curler. "How do you not poke your eye out?" Shuddering, he added, "I'm glad I'm not a girl."

Sakura set the pen on the desk, rested her chin on her knuckles.

"So am I," she said with a wink.


	3. Security Blanket

**III. Security Blanket**

He didn't know why he hadn't noticed it before, but now that he'd made the discovery, he couldn't help but feel he was seeing a whole new side of Sakura, a side that only he was privileged enough to see.

And that made him all the more appreciative of the bond they shared.

Sakura slept with a blanket. A small one, the kind you're wrapped in as a baby.

Hers, unsurprisingly, was pink. A faded pink, after years of love--and washing machines--but still pink.

He found it a week ago when he actually took it upon himself to make their bed instead of rolling out of it and leaving the sheets in disarray, like ususal.

The blanket was half-buried beneath her pillow, and he'd drawn it out, holding it as if it were a relic, gently.

"Now that's something," he'd remarked, and, on impulse, rubbed it against his cheek, the fabric so flimsy and threadbare it felt like silk. "Mmm...Sakura-chan..."

It smelled like her, too.

He held it a little longer, then folded it up and finished making the bed, putting the blanket back underneath her pillow.

She'd given him a mysterious smile at dinner, one that he would've pursued if she hadn't risen and kissed his cheek.

"I should be back from my mission tomorrow afternoon, at the latest, but I'll leave my blanket here tonight."

This time, she kissed his mouth, and then disappeared into the kitchen with her empty plate.

After a moment of contemplation--she must've spied on him earlier--Naruto smiled his own smile.

The blanket was sentimental to her, but it was security to him, and she knew it.

The best part was...

So did he.


	4. Embrace

Thanks for the lovely reviews, guys. I'm glad you're enjoying the drabbles. ::grin:: And...I must be crazy to do this, but...it's the holidays, right? XD If you'd like to request a drabble, drop me an email (it'll make things less cluttered) with your keyword, and I'll see what I can come up with.

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****IV. Embrace**

After building up years of experience, Sakura can claim, confidently, that she will never get enough of Naruto's hugs.

"Sakura-chan, c'mere," he'd say, his voice playful or sensual or serious, and he'd wrap his arms around her, pressing her firmly against his toned chest so that her tiny breasts are flattened, so that there is no mistaking he is male and she is female and they _fit_ each other, they complement each other.

Because he knew her, he knew she liked the small of her back touched, so he'd touch her there, trace circles with the pads of his callused fingers, rub his palms up and down.

Sometimes, he'd kiss her neck while he held her or bury his nose in her hair or rest his chin protectively on her crown.

Other times, he'd bring their foreheads together and just look at her, hands resting lightly on her hips, saying everything he needed to say without words.

It's during these times she feels so cherished, so respected, so _loved_, she hardly thinks to question why he's been brought into her life, or what she's done to deserve him.

Because none of this is about deserving.

It's about Naruto knowing that she likes the small of her back touched.


	5. Salad

**V. Salad**

Whenever Sakura decides to include salad with meals, Naruto discreetly--or so he hopes--scoops it into his pocket to dispose of later or shoves it in a napkin--which also ends up in his pocket--or eats and claims he's full when all that remains on his plate is the salad.

His success rate varies from poor to extremely poor to downright dismal.

"Naruto...what the hell is this?"

Sakura holds up a pair of pants, her expression murderous.

There is lettuce stuck to the pant leg. Not in the pocket, where Naruto put it. Which meant Sakura had tried to wash the pants and the lettuce ended up on the outside--as well as on the rest of the laundry, judging from her narrowed, and gleaming, eyes.

"I just remembered I have to write a report for the old hag about my last mission," Naruto says quickly, and bolts.

But of course Sakura remembers this, and she makes him pay for it.

He's been sleeping on the couch the past few nights, and salad has become a staple food.

That only means he has to put his "Most Unpredictable Ninja" status to better use.


	6. Furniture

**VI. Furniture**

"How about this one?"

Sakura pointed at a rather frilly-looking white bassinet, and though Naruto didn't really care for it, he grinned and said, "Sure, that's cute."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, one hand on her swollen belly, the other fisted on her hip. "You're an awful liar," she said bluntly, and he grimaced.

He'd hoped she wouldn't notice his lack of enthusiasm, because he knew how important this was to her, and he'd rather not deny her anything. If she wanted that particular bassinet in the baby's room, that's what she should have.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've never been good at it. But hey, this one isn't bad--"

Sakura shook her head, and moved on to the next one, a simple but beautifully crafted piece of woodwork--cedar--that could be padded in any color to suit the sex of the baby.

"We made this kid together, Naruto," she said, running her fingertips along the edge of the bassinet. "We're decorating the room together, too." She glanced over her shoulder, giving him the smile that she smiled for nobody but him, and his stomach did backflips, like always.

He moved to stand beside her and mirrored her actions. The wood felt smooth, cool.

"This one," he said firmly. "I like this one."

Sakura leaned against him, her arm circling his waist. "Then we'll buy this one," she replied.


	7. Tipping Point

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This drabble contains MAJOR chapter 330 spoilers. If you haven't gotten this far in the manga and you don't want things spoiled, I'd advise you to skip this one.

**VII. Tipping Point**

They're dressed in black, a solemn line of crows at a tombstone. Konohamaru sobs quietly; Kurenai places a bouquet of tulips on the grave, a silent ghost; Kakashi eyes the ground soberly.

Naruto is strong for Konohamaru's sake, his arm around the boy's quaking shoulders, though the strength leaves him, drains out of him once the rites are spoken and the crows scatter.

Kakashi is still there, murmuring to Kurenai.

Naruto doesn't reach for him, though. He reaches for her, and her hand is there, in his, as if she'd expected it.

"Sakura-chan...how will I know if I've been a good person?"

She looks at him.

"What do you mean?" Her tone is gentle rather than prying, and Naruto's grip on her hand tightens.

"How will I know I've done all I'm supposed to do? What if I die before I accomplish anything?"

There is no need for him to elaborate, because she understands his meaning, and he knows she does.

"You won't," she says, twining their fingers. "You've accomplished so much already, Naruto."

"I'm scared," he whispers. "I'm scared it isn't enough."

Sakura's eyes narrow, and she puts her other hand on the nape of Naruto's neck, drawing his forehead down to rest against hers.

"Then you can't die yet."

Naruto stares at her, and she stares back unflinchingly, solid as an anchor.

He closes his eyes.

"Yeah."

He can't die yet.


	8. Steam

**VIII. Steam**

"How is this supposed to help me, Sakura-chan?"

Naruto crossed his arms, tone surly. As soon as he walked, coughing, through the door, Sakura had ushered him up the stairs to their bedroom--without letting him stop in the kitchen for a quick bite to eat--forced him into bed, and rummaged around in the closet for a strange, triangular-shaped contraption that she called a "humidifier."

The humidifier was set up on the floor near his side of the bed, and every few seconds, it would shoot out a jet of steam from the hole in the middle of it.

Naruto didn't see what a bunch of steam would do to get rid of his cold--if he even _had_ a cold.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Just shut up and breathe, Naruto," she said irritatedly. "The steam'll clear your lungs."

He had been about to say something defensive, but he started coughing again.

He _did_ take a few deep breaths once the fit passed, though, and he had to admit, his lungs felt a little clearer.

The admitting was done in silence, of course.

Naruto had decided he wanted to milk being sick as long as he could get away with, if only because it gave him an excuse to beg Sakura to spoonfeed him ramen, to make up for his lack of dinner.


	9. Pants

Note/gripe: Thank you, document manager, for stopping the Stupid. ::grumbles:: Sorry I couldn't update earlier, guys.

**IX. Pants**

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said in a pained voice, "Please go put some pants on."

Normally, Naruto didn't pose any objection whatsoever to Sakura's choice of sleepwear, but this morning it was proving to be too much of a distraction.

She was sitting across from him in his study, one of her legs propped up on the seat of her chair so she could paint her toenails, and she was wearing only a T-shirt and underwear (that Naruto could see quite plainly).

His paperwork was important, certainly, but he couldn't bring himself to concentrate on it with her there, pantsless.

Sakura gave him a mischievous look.

"I will in a minute," she said. "I just want to finish this foot first." Grinning, she got back to work.

Naruto groaned. She had only done her big toe so far, and she usually applied at least two coats whenever she painted her nails.

Sakura was a cruel woman when she wanted to be.


	10. Lollipop

**X. Lollipop**

Most of the time, when you think of lollipops, you think of little kids with scabs on their knees and dirt on their faces.

When Sakura had a lollipop in her mouth, however, Naruto found himself thinking of things that could get him into a heap of trouble if they were aired out.

Which is why he never said a word on these occasions, and looked anywhere but at her.

This time, though, she'd taken matters into her own hands and started sucking on the lollipop--cherry flavored--while she was sitting on top of him in bed, and once he'd gotten a single glimpse, he couldn't close his eyes.

"I like this brand," she said, and licked a circle around it. "It has a bit of a tang. Want a taste?"

Resolutely, Naruto shook his head, mouth clamped tightly shut. Oh, he wanted a taste, all right, and more than that besides.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Suit yourself." She licked it again, slowly, her gaze fixed on his.

And Naruto snapped.

She never got the chance to finish the lollipop, because he plucked it out of her hand, tossed it over the side of the bed without caring where it landed--though Sakura would care later, seeing as how lollipops are sticky--and wrestled her beneath him.

His self-control only stretched so far...but it was the lollipop's fault, anyway.


	11. Manifesto

**XI. Manifesto**

"Naruto...why do you like ramen so much?"

She'd been meaning to ask him for a while, but she just never got around to it. Probably because Naruto and ramen was such a natural thing that whenever she had the opportunity to ask, she promptly forgot.

Naruto appeared lost for a moment, nose scrunched up, and then he said, "Well...it tastes good. And I really love the texture. And it's fun to slurp the noodles." His face took on a dreamy cast. "And the smell...miso ramen is the best, especially when you first get it and it's hot. I could just sit there and smell it...but I'd rather eat it, you know?" He groaned suddenly. "I'm hungry now, Sakura-chan."

She laughed. Naruto's explanation was simple, child-like, even, but it suited him perfectly.

"Come on. Let's go to the Ichiraku."

She'd have some ramen too this time.


	12. Spider

**XII. Spider**

Sakura had been watching TV in the living room when Naruto burst in, eyes wide, cheeks flushed.

Startled, she hit the "mute" button on the remote and looked at him.

"Are you okay?"

Naruto braced his hands on the doorframe, breathing heavily.

"There's...there's a...it's _huge_, Sakura-chan."

"What is, Naruto?" She asked calmly, setting the remote on the couch.

"The spider."

Ah. Well. That explained everything.

Sakura stood up. "Show me where it is," she commanded, taking Naruto by the sleeve. They didn't get many spiders in the house, but when they did, it was usually left to Sakura to kill them, because Naruto, she had learned, was terrified of spiders.

"I never used to be afraid of 'em," he'd said when she asked once. "But then I woke up with one crawling around on my face..." He'd shuddered and couldn't continue, but she hadn't needed further elaboration.

That'd probably scare her, too.

Antsy, Naruto led her to his study, and motioned vaguely at his desk. Sakura walked forward and began shifting papers around. The spider--a small brown one about the size of a penny--scuttled out from underneath them.

Eyebrows raised, Sakura held her palm at a level with the desk, and the spider scurried onto it, while Naruto made a strange sqwawking noise and edged away from her.

She closed her fingers over her palm, feeling the spider's legs skitter on her skin, and went to the window, which was conveniently open.

"There, all gone," she said, tossing the spider out. She closed the window. "That's why it got in," she said, pointing at the window. "Just turn the fan on or something if you're hot."

Naruto blinked at her, expression awed. "You're so cool," he said seriously.

Pleased in spite of herself, Sakura grinned.

"Yeah, well...I have to be, to stand next to you."

The smile he gave her then made this whole interlude worth it, even if it meant she was missing her favorite series.


	13. Spade

Well, this is the end of the LJ drabbles (the fourteenth keyword, "parasol," has become At the Festival of the New Leaves, so check that out if you haven't already ). I did get a few additional requests here, so I'll be working on those and posting them soon. I think I might leave this collection open, so I can add to it if I'm inspired later on. Thanks for reading, guys! I appreciate all the feedback, and I'm glad you enjoyed thus far!

**XIII.** **Spade**

Naruto stared at his cards, a look of utter perplexity on his face, his mouth curved severely downward.

Sakura exchanged a glance with Shikamaru, eyebrows raised.

"Okay, Naruto, what's the problem?" She tried not to sound too impatient--she'd snapped at him that morning when he'd tried to kiss her before brushing his teeth--though she couldn't keep the slight edge from her voice.

He'd been staring at his cards for five minutes now, and that was five minutes too long, particularly during rummy.

Naruto blinked.

"Uh...what's the difference between clubs and spades?"

Sakura gaped at him, so astounded she couldn't say anything.

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome..."

From now on, they'd stick to board games.


	14. Santa Claus is a Ninja

LOL I THOUGHT I WOULDN'T BE UPDATING THIS AGAIN, BUT I WAS WRONG. A friend asked for this, and since it's kinda on the short side, I figured I'd stick it here.

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**XIV. Santa Claus is a Ninja**

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"Down a chimney?"

"Yeah."

"But I thought you said he was fat."

"…He is."

"Then how does he fit?"

Naruto grows silent. He purses his lips. He taps his fingers against the table. Around them, the tiny- and always crowded –restaurant bustles with noise and activity. Their server, a peppy teenage girl with her hair caught back in a clip, drops by to inquire after the food, which Sakura assures her is delicious, as always.

"Magic," Naruto says finally.

Sakura, chopsticks halfway to her mouth, stares across the table at him. He is completely straight faced.

"Or some kind of jutsu," he adds, sneaking furtive looks at Sakura's food as any glutton who'd demolished his dinner in under ten minutes (with plenty of room to spare) would.

Sakura puts the chopsticks down.

"So Santa Claus is a ninja."

"He could be."

"A ninja in a red suit with a long white beard who delivers presents via chimneys despite his vast girth."

"Sakura," Naruto says, pained, "you're making me feel really stupid."

Sakura grins. She picks the chopsticks up again, pretends not to notice Naruto's blatant envy. "Tell me more," she says after she's finished chewing.

It takes Naruto a moment to respond, as he'd been preoccupied by Sakura's progress. He snaps out of it when she tosses a piece of shrimp at his forehead. "Jiraiya traveled all over the world, so he got to witness a lot of different celebrations and stuff," he says, and pops the shrimp into his mouth. "Santa Claus is apparently a symbol of a holiday about giving, and family, or friends that could be family, or even strangers…togetherness is the important thing." He smiles fondly. "I remember the old pervert left a huge sock full of candy on my bedroll at the same time every year when we were off training."

Sakura can't help but smile, too. She takes a few more bites of her dinner before she pushes the plate toward Naruto.

"I guess Santa Claus is a ninja," she says.

Naruto looks disbelievingly at the plate, as if he thinks it'll vanish, and then looks at her, both brows raised, expression hopeful. When she gives no indication that she is going to snatch the plate back, he digs right in without pause.

"Except you're the hot version," he says with aplomb (and a mouthful of rice).

Sakura rolls her eyes, even though she is more than a little pleased.

"Just eat your food."

And he does.


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